Method and apparatus for producing three dimensional displays

Details Method and apparatus for producing three dimensional displays Method and apparatus for producing three dimensional displays

1981-06-11

1983-11-08

Orsino, Jr., Joseph A.

Facsimile and static presentation processing

Static presentation processing

Attribute control

350144, 352 86, 353 10, 358231, 358250, H04N 954, H04N 572

Patent

active

044145659

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing three dimensional displays.
There have been many schemes for producing stereoscopic or three dimensional (3-D) displays. For example the projection of two images with orthogonal polarisation or different colours and viewing by an operator wearing polarised or coloured spectacles. One such scheme, described in UK Patent Spec No. 1523436 displays two slightly different images frame sequentially on a single cathode ray tube, eg a television receiver, in conjunction with polarising spectacles and a liquid crystal polarisation switch. Both the above schemes are suitable for moving displays eg a football match.
While these methods allow the pictures to be viewed simultaneously from a wide range of angles or by a number of observers, they have the disadvantage of requiring the observers to wear polarising or coloured spectacles. Other schemes have used slotted or lenticular screens to separate a number of different pictures into different spatial zones so that the unaided eyes of an observer see different stereoscopically related pictures. These have the disadvantage that there are viewing positions where the left eye sees a view intended for the right eye and vice versa so that the perspective is inverted in the 3-D presentation and a most undesirable pseudoscopic presentation is perceived. This can severely limit the number of suitable viewing positions if only one left eye view and one right eye view are presented. All of these methods require the presentation of at least two disparate views to the observer and this can give problems such as reduced resolution, flicker, increased usage of photographic materials, or increased television video bandwidth.
Another method, giving a pseudo 3-D presentation uses only one view of the scene. This single view is imaged as a virtual, upright, magnified image in a concave spherical mirror or in a plane mirror. This effect appears to be due, in part at least, to the framing effect of the mirror on the observed image and, in part, to the spherical aberration of the curved mirror if used.
For displays having only one observer, there are many 3-D systems involving the simultaneous viewing of two slightly different views through eye pieces.
The present invention provides a single image and exploits various cues that an observer uses to distinguish distances. For close objects in an actual scene binocular disparity allows stereoscopic perception but at larger distances this binocular disparity is negligible and other effects such as parallax, obscuration and perspective, are predominant.
According to this invention a method of producing an apparent three dimensional display includes producing an image of a scene with varying differential magnification within the display whereby at least part of the observed image appears as a real or virtual image of the scene on a substantially saddle shaped surface or part thereof.
A saddle shaped surface is a surface that is convex in horizontal section and straight or concave in vertical section as seen by an observer; it may be part of the surface of a solid of revolution such as a bell, alternatively the radii of curvature may vary in magnitude from point to point.
In one form, the method includes the steps of producing a distorted plane image of the scene and causing observation of the distorted image on a saddle shaped surface, or part thereof, or through a lens thereof, so that the observed image frame has similar proportions to that of the original scene or the undistorted image of the original scene.
One effect of producing an image on a saddle shaped surface is to vary the magnification in different parts of the observed scene. Another effect is to vary the distance of different parts of the image from the eyes of an observer and thus to induce an acceptable binocular disparity. These and other effects, concerned with the saddle shaped image, allow the observer to lose his perception of the picture as flat and allow the other pictorial depth cues to predominate to give a

REFERENCES:
patent: 2542789 (1951-02-01), Ames, Jr.
patent: 2884833 (1959-05-01), Pohl
patent: 2975671 (1961-03-01), Hemstreet
patent: 3723651 (1973-03-01), Gorog
patent: 4140370 (1979-02-01), Snaper et al.
patent: 4173391 (1979-11-01), Schure et al.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Method and apparatus for producing three dimensional displays does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for producing three dimensional displays, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for producing three dimensional displays will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2011701